


The Journal of Captain Mullin

by captainmullin (spaceduck500)



Category: Granblue Fantasy (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, angst with fluff, this is very self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24493201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceduck500/pseuds/captainmullin
Summary: The (Edited) Jounal of Captain Mullin of the Grandcypher, donated by siblings Gran and Djeeta. The two have left their elder siblings' writings untouched for the most part.Mullin documented their travels onboard and offboard the Grandcypher, and we wanted to leave their legacy for others to find.(Takes place after the Girl in Blue arc. Begins at Dawning Sky.)
Relationships: OFC/Rackam, Original Fictional Character/Rackam
Kudos: 7





	1. A Foreward

Hello, reader! My name is Djeeta and I'm the sister of Mullin! Me and my brother, Gran, decided to donate our siblings' journal for other skyfarers to read.

The Academy of Mysteria has gladly accepted our donation and we couldn't be happier. It's, um, it's been hard without them around anymore. We want to preserve Mullin's memory as best we can, and we think that submitting the journal of their travels onboard the Grandcypher as it's captain is the right move. We miss them terribly, but we can't change the past. "All we can do now is move forward," as Mullin would say.

We hope you enjoy reading their travels as much as we did. We sincerely hope that their travels will inspire others to seek out their own adventures. Stay safe out there, skyfarers!

Forever in our hearts,  
Gran and Djeeta


	2. Chapter I Section I: Home

The blowing of the old ships' horn awoke me from my slumber, causing me to sit up and nearly hit my head on the bunk above me. The large passenger ship rocked gently as it docked onto the port of my home, Zinkenstill. 

I ran onto the deck, my coat billowing out behind me. I pressed myself flush against the railing; my heart pounded and tears fell from the corners of my eyes. The captain of the ship was at my side in an instant. Clasping my shoulder, he gave me a warm grin. 

"Consider this trip on the house, kid. Welcome home." 

"Oh- no, I couldn't possibly." I hastily handed him a sack of rupees, the cost not bothering me. The old captain laughed and watched me run off the deck.

The night stars illuminated my path as I ran through the village, old friends and elders greeting me when I passed. I shook their hands, smiled at them kindly, but I knew that all I wanted was to see was my siblings. A return party could wait until tomorrow. 

What greeted me when I opened the door to my house was… not what I expected. A few dozen people sat around various areas, Gran and Djeeta nowhere in sight. A woman around my age with long brown hair approached me. I hastily drew my pistol and she moved to draw her sword. Her eyes narrowed. 

"Might I ask who you are?"

I scowled. "You're in  _ my _ house. Might I ask who  _ you  _ are?" 

The others watched cautiously. Erunes and Draphs I had never seen before looked confused, some reaching for weapons. A flash of blue and red appeared in the corner of my eye, revealing old friends. 

"Sturm? Drang? What are you two doing here?" I softened at their approach, but keeping my hand on my gun. Sturm sighed and pulled the woman away from me. Drang laughed and ruffled my hair, it's purple locks growing even messier. 

"We could ask the same of you, Mullin! I thought you weren't supposed to return for another month or so?" Drang gave me an award winning smile while Sturm addressed the others.

"Relax. They're related-"

"Mullin!" Two loud voices interrupted the Draph, her expression turning even sour. My eyes lit up at the sight of my little siblings. Djeeta nearly fell over running downstairs, pulling me into a tight hug. Gran's excitement was more contained than hers, electing to pat me on the back. 

The woman who approached me first immediately relaxed. She moved her sword back into it's clasp and the others in the room resettled themselves as well. She bowed her head slightly in apology.

"So you're  _ that  _ Mullin. I'm sorry, I hadn't realized. My name is Katalina, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." 

"And I'm Lyria!" Yet another voice sounded, bounding down the steps. I froze in my place.  _ The girl in blue?  _ I thought. Gran noticed my posture and sighed. 

"You realized it, huh? I guess we can't hide it. We're the uh, 'skyfarers known throughout the land'." 

I nearly dropped Djeeta - who had, at that point, climbed into my arms and threw herself over my shoulders - at that point. I looked at all of the people in my house, Lyria, the reason why another airship was docked at the port when my trip was supposed to be the only one - 

"Mullin?" Djeeta asked and hopped off of me, "Hellooo? Mullin?" 

I fell to my knees and collapsed from shock. 


	3. Chapter I Section II: Realization

"Ah, damn. Are they okay?" 

"Quiet, Rackam! I'm concentrating!" 

"Sheesh, Io…" 

My head throbbed when I awoke in my old bedroom. A young girl hovered over me, face contorted in focus. Her hands glowed with healing magic. I started to sit up but the male who had first spoken pushed me down gently. 

"Woah there, easy. You had one hell of a shock. Rest." He smiled at me and I couldn't find the words to reply.  _ Oh nooo. He's super pretty....  _ I looked away in embarrassment as the mage finished up.

"There ya go! Good as new! I'm Io, by the way! That lughead is Rackam." Io playfully shoved Rackam and he scowled. I dipped my head in thanks. 

"So… what happened? How long was I out?" 

Rackam scratched his chin in thought. "It's been about… 45 minutes? You can certainly take a faceplant to the floor well!" He laughed and the tips of my ears burned. Io huffed at him. 

"We got everything cleared up with Gran and Djeeta, in case you're worried about that. Apparently those two never thought to give us a description of you!" 

I laughed weakly and burst into a coughing fit. Io pushed me back into my bed, worry crossing her features. I smiled at her. 

"Don't worry, might just be a head cold from all of the wind I've been soaking up," I yawned. "I've been traveling North recently too." 

"You travel often?" Another voice sounded from the doorway. Io and Rackam turned to greet another woman with long black hair, her outfit adorned with roses and thorns. 

"Rosetta!" Io gleefully shouted. Rackam stood up to let Rosetta have his chair. She gratefully accepted, sitting down with careful poise. I nodded. 

"I make my living as a mercenary and bodyguard. I tend to travel a lot." 

Io's eyes widened in realization: "Ohh! That must be how you know Drang and Sturm!" 

I nodded, attempting to sit up for a third time, "Mhm. I've done a couple jobs with 'em, they're good people." 

Rosetta smiled. "I'm glad to know that Gran and Djeeta have such a delightful sibling." 

I flushed under her praise, "Well, uh… I haven't been a very good sibling. I just drift nowadays. Er, speaking of those rascals, what do they exactly do on your ship…?"

It was Rackam's turn to speak. He had taken residence leaning against the doorframe. "She's called the Grandcypher. Best ship in the skies, I bet. Gran n' Djeeta are… well… let's call 'em co-captains?"

"... _ What?"  _ I stared at him in disbelief. "They are CHILDREN. What the hell have all of you been thinking?" I started to get up, intent on hurting someone, but my head protested. I groaned and rubbed my temples. Rosetta cast me a glance full of pity. 

Io huffed. "Just because they're young doesn't mean they can't do anything!" 

I sighed: "I- I know. They're good kids. But the thought of losing them? It's too much for me to bear. You all- you all have been through so, so much in such a small time…" I rubbed my head again, tears threatening to spill out. This wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my reunion with my family. 

"Mullin?" Gran called from the doorway. Djeeta and Lyria peeked over his shoulder, while a familiar red dragon had appeared by Rackam. 

"Gran…" I murmered. At that moment, he looked so much like Dad. Hot tears rolled down my face. Djeeta ran over to my bed. She soon started to cry. Rosetta stood up and left the room with the others to give us privacy. 

Gran walked over and hugged me; I felt his own tears stain my shirt. Vyrn flew closer in and rested on my lap. We sat there for a few minutes, crying. 

"Mullin, we- we never intended to go this far," Djeeta sniffed. "We wanted to explore the world like you and Dad. We want to find Estalucia, that's all!" 

Gran wiped his face on his shirt sleeve. "Yeah. We also wanted to find you. You've been gone for so long… we got scared. An opportunity arose to travel with Katalina and Lyria, so we took it." 

"You've always told us to search out life for ourselves, to live for yourself but to help others. They were in danger and we wanted to help!" Vyrn said. "So we did! And here we are, a big family again!" 

I sighed then dried my eyes. I looked between the two young captains of the Grandcypher. Djeeta gave me a puppy-eyed look while Gran did the thing where he looked sheepish but sly at the same time. 

I groaned: "It was always hard to deny you two the world. Fine, you win. But-"

The twins pouted at me. Vyrn huffed. 

" _ But  _ I'm coming with you. You're not running around destroying imperial wartorn societies without my permission." 

They all laughed and we embraced in a bone-crushing hug.


	4. Chapter I Section III: New Start

The next day I awoke with only a mild headache and a few sniffles. Io had managed to get rid of my cold along with another healer, De la Fille. She seemed… interesting, to say the least. When I walked downstairs however, I wasn't expecting three Erunes in my kitchen. 

"Heyo, it's the boss's boss!" One shouted. 

"What's up?" Another asked. 

"Bros, bros! Chill out, y'all. You're wakin' everyone up with your yapping." The third one said. Turning to me, he continued: "The name's Lowain, and these are my dudes Elsam and Tomoi. Don't let 'em bother you, yeah?" 

I rubbed my temples: "Why are you in my kitchen?" 

Tomoi glanced at Elsam. Elsam looked at Lowain. Lowain nodded to Tomoi. 

"Well…" Lowain began. 

"We're kinda the backbone of the Grandcypher, ya feel?" Continued Elsam. 

"...So that means…" Tomoi said. 

"We're the kitchen experts!" Said all three at once. 

"The glue that holds everything together!" Lowain exclaimed, slinging what looked to be pancake batter from his spatula. 

I sighed: "Don't mess up my kitchen." 

"You're the boss!" They all yelled.  _ It was going to be a long day. _

I grabbed a piece of bread to munch on and headed out of the kitchen. I was greeted by Eugen, a burly ex-skyfarer and current crewman of the Grandcypher. Eugen tossed a piece of meat my way - which I easily caught and devoured with my bread. 

"Good morning, Mullin!" His voice boomed. "I take it ya already met the three knuckleheads?" 

I nodded, a portion of the meat still hanging from my mouth. Eugen laughed and beckoned me to sit with him at the living room table.  _ Being ordered around in my own house… hoo boy. _ I thought. I sat with him, unsure of how to start a conversation. 

Eugen raised an eyebrow at me: "Not much of a talker? Eh, that's alright. I'll do the talkin' for ya!" There was a pause: "I better get straight to the point - Gran and Djeeta are plannin' on leaving Zinkenstill soon." 

I looked up from my bread, nearly choking on it. Eugen laughed at my reaction. 

"I think they said they were leaving in a couple days. You're more than welcome to join us!" 

"L-Leaving?" I sputtered, "but I just got here yesterday! How long have you all been here?!" 

Eugen scratched the side of his face as he thought: "Hm… a few days, but we've already restocked the Grandcypher thanks to the help of Noa." 

_ Noa?! Who is Noa? How many people are on this ship? _

"Ah, but ya probably haven't met a ton of the crew. Let's go!" Eugen said suddenly, sitting up from his chair. I quickly finished my breakfast and followed him outside.

What greeted me was a sight for sore eyes. Richard was sitting underneath an old pavilion that bordered the house, a deck of cards in front of him as he played a game against Lyria. 

They didn't look up from their game until I approached, Lyria spotting me first. 

"Mullin! How are you feeling?" 

Richard glanced upward and nearly dropped his cards. I gave him a small wave and smiled at Lyria. 

"I'm doing alright. Is Richard teaching you how to gamble?" 

"I would  _ never _ ." Protested Richard as he stood up. He opened his arms to accept a hug but I brushed him off. He pouted. Lyria looked between the two of us. 

"Richard, you know Mullin?"

"Old friends." I said, taking Richard's seat and his cards. Lyria nodded in understanding and took up her cards again. 

"What's the game?" I asked. "If not poker, then…"

"Go Fish!" Vyrn exclaimed, flying in and landing between us on the table. "Mornin', Mullin!" 

"Good morning, Vyrn." I said, setting my cards down. "So why are we playing Go Fish?" 

"It's a simple time-killer," Answered Richard. "Final preparations are being made so we can leave after everyone has eaten breakfast." 

I sighed. "So you all really are leaving…" 

"Yep!" Said Vyrn. "You can come with us, y'know!" 

I nodded: "I am, but…" 

Just then, a group of people came over to the pavilion. Gran and Djeeta bounded over - well, Djeeta did, Gran walked - and immediately hugged me. I reciprocated, ruffling their hair. Katalina smiled at the scene before her, bringing up the rear. 

"Mullin…" Gran sighed and attempted to fix his hair. Djeeta giggled. 

It was Katalina's turn to speak: "Good morning everyone. I'm deeply sorry for accusing you yesterday," She turned to me and bowed slightly. 

I shook my head: "It's alright. No harm done. You've taken good care of everyone here, you had every right to be unsure." 

Katalina smiled at me and my ears turned red. I coughed and looked anywhere but her. Richard laughed quietly to himself. 

"A-Anyway," I continued, shaking my head to rid my blush, "Where are you headed to after this?" 

"Amalthea Island." Gran said. 

"With the Crew of Enforcers? You know them?" 

"Yep!" Djeeta replied: "One of them is part of our crew!" 

My head spun.  _ How are these two captains? How did they get so many people to join them? Did they really topple the Erste Empire?  _

"Your head is running wild again, isn't it?" Richard asked, poking me in the forehead. I huffed and crossed my arms. 

"Is not. I'm just… baffled at the accomplishments you two have done." I nodded to my siblings. "I'm proud, and I'm sure Dad would be too." 

"You're gonna make me cryyy!" Djeeta said, throwing her arms around my neck. I held her gently, laughing to myself. 

"You always cry, Djeeta. It's alright." I patted her back and she let go. Gran rubbed his temples; anxious. 

"What's wrong?" Lyria asked, her voice full of concern. 

"Nothing, nothing." Gran replied. "I, um… well, we have a proposition for you, Mullin."

I tilted my head. Katalina nodded. Vyrn flew over and landed on Gran's shoulder to give him some encouragement. 

"We want you to become the captain of the Grandcypher." 


	5. Chapter I Section IV: Departure

"... _ What?"  _ I replied, incredulous. "Eh? Why me? You two are fine captains from what I've seen." 

"Djeeta and I had a long talk last night and-"

"And we agreed that you would be better suited for the job!" Djeeta butted in. "You have more experience than us and we trust you. You'd make a great captain!" 

Vyrn nodded: "We'd really like to have you join us, Mullin. We miss you." 

Lyria nodded eagerly, "You're also really fun to talk to!" 

"Guys…" I sighed for about the millionth time this morning. "I'm coming with you, but being the captain? That's a lot of responsibility, and-"

"Pleeease?" Djeeta pouted at me. Gran clasped his hands in a pleading motion. I glanced away. 

"No, don't do the puppy dog eyes, Djeeta. Gran, that doesn't work on me anymore - and Vyrn, stop enabling them!" I muttered into my hand. Vyrn crossed his arms and huffed. 

Katalina laughed: "You all really are family." 

Richard snapped up his card deck and pocketed them, "I think Mullin's made up their mind already. Shall we get going?" 

Lyria shot up from her seat and dragged Katalina back to the airship to finish preparations. Gran and Djeeta kept staring me down, wearing down my defenses. 

After about five more minutes of them pleading, I gave in. I held my head in my hands, already dreading my decision. 

"Fine. I'll become the captain." 

"Yay!" My siblings cheered, Vyrn flying smugly. I rolled my eyes and stood up. Leaving the pavilion behind, I went into the house to pack. 

I passed through the kitchen where batter was across various tabletops and three Erunes were nowhere in sight. I groaned and began to clean; scrubbing down any surface I could see.  _ I'm not letting my house go to ruin. At least everyone ate something.  _

After cleaning the Lowain bros mess, I scoured the house for anything else that I might need. I packed my armor and the bandages that I use to bind. 

Before I left the house, I decided to double check my appearance in the mirror. My lavender hair was an absolute  **mess.** I groaned and ran my fingers through the shoulder-length mop that sat on my head, but to no avail. Still tangled.  _ Dammit _ . 

Outside, I heard someone calling my name. I slipped on some simple leather armor and boots and raced out the door with my bag. A gust of warm wind hit my face as I stared out into the open sky.

Clouds rolled by, white and puffy. The sun tickled my nose and I sneezed; causing dandelion puffs to go everywhere. The seeds flew through the sunny skies. I watched them as they climbed higher and higher, all the way up to where, in the distance, the Grandcypher was docked. People waved at me to come over.

I ran forward, never looking a single step back. A new portion of my life was about to begin. 


	6. Chapter II Section I: Gameplan

I ran along the deck of the Grandcypher, it's size never failing to amaze me. A few days had passed since my new job as the captain had begun - it was an awkward first couple of days, I have to admit. There were lots of people I had to meet, as well as  _ entirely  _ too much paperwork.  I will admit, I hadn’t quite realized what exactly I was getting myself into when I met some of the crew of the Grandcypher. 

For example, there were characters such as the chaotic Lowain Bros. Lowain, Elsam, and Tomoi. They pulled their weight in the Grandcypher’s kitchens, but it seemed to me that they enjoyed chewing the fat rather than cooking it. I won’t undermine their culinary abilities though, I’ve never had better food. 

I found myself at a loss for words when my siblings introduced me to the Dragon Knights, a group of knights from the kingdom of Feendrache. I was only able to visit their homeland once before on a short supply run with an old friend of mine, but I found their scenery fascinating. Lancelot and I tended to talk about training more often than not, with Percival butting in with some… unusual advice about fire.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my first month or so on the Grandcypher. That is, until Gran and Djeeta told me what their goal was. 

“We’re going to make a supply run on Amalthea and see what information we can get there before moving on,” Gran told me one day after flagging me down from the helm. “We’re also hoping Lecia can gain permission to stay on board as a member of the crew.”

_ Lecia? She’s....  _

“Captain of the Fourth Fleet of Enforcers. She’s been with us for awhile.” Gran finished my thoughts with a smile. He then gazed out into the clouds, his face contorting into a frown. I rested my arms on the railing, letting the soft breeze blow past my hair. 

“...I’m sorry if we made you rush into this decision, Mullin.” Gran finally spoke what was on his mind, a sheepish look overtaking his features. “Being captain isn’t easy. I split the work with Djeeta and it was still tiresome.” 

I let out a laugh, my head tilting back: “You were always the one to worry about everything, Gran. It’s alright. I’m taking my time going through the ship’s manifests and getting to know the crew. You’ve done an excellent job while I was away. I couldn’t be more proud.” 

Gran’s shoulders sank in relief; he let out the breath he had been holding. A devious thought crossed my mind in that instant and a smirk began to play upon my lips.

“Although… I’ve seen you staring at Percival.~” My voice was light; teasing. Gran’s face turned red and he glared at me. “Aww, does my little brother have a crush?” I ruffled his hair, watching as his face went more red and his ears turned pink. 

“Mullin! Stop it…” Gran pouted and I held my hands up in surrender. He sighed and turned his head back out into the vast sky: “He doesn’t think of me like that.” 

I laughed a little and placed my arms back on the railing: “You never know - and if he doesn’t treat you right, I’ll drop him overboard the Grandcypher.”

“Mullin-”

“It’s true!” 

Gran laughed and I smiled.  _ I really am proud of you both. I can’t wait to see where our trip takes us. To the end of the skies, or maybe even farther.  _


	7. Chapter II Section II: Amalthea

With favorable winds in our sails, we headed off to the Fourth Fleet Headquarters a few days later. I was always impressed with how it was run, it’s civilians and it’s soldiers all working together. We docked the Grandcypher and Lecia went ahead, saying she wanted to check on a few things before meeting up with us later.

Gran and Djeeta ran off with Vyrn, Katalina, and Lyria to scour the archives of the Headquarters, hoping to find something there. I stayed on the Grandcypher in hopes to meet with Walfrid. I had heard about him on different odd jobs, but never saw him in person. My thoughts began to drift back to Gran and Djeeta. 

_ Still… I am worried that I may not fit this job. They both look so happy when talking to the crew… am I just butting in on their lives?  _ I paced the deck of the airship; working some of my growing frustrations out. 

“Mullin? What’re you doing up here?” A somewhat familiar voice asked from behind. I turned on my heel to meet face-to-face with Vane. I had only spoken with him a couple other times during meals, but I found his company pleasant. 

“Waiting for the others to get back. I’m also waiting to see if Captain Walfrid will show,” I replied, rocking on my heels. “And you?”

“Oh! Just waiting for Lancey to come back from his patrol with some of the soldiers here. He wanted to learn more about their formations!” Vane said excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the mention of Lancelot.  _ He looks like a puppy. Cute.  _ I smiled at him and he waved back to me as he left the Grandcypher to go find the aforementioned Lancey. 

A few hours later Gran and Djeeta returned to the Grandcypher with deflated looks in their eyes. Waving them onboard, I pulled them both into a hug and messed with their hair: “What’s gotten you two so down?”

Djeeta sighed and glanced at Gran who answered my question: “Captain Walfrid won’t be coming here anytime soon. He’s making a stop at the Dydroit Belt before turning around and continuing his patrol.” 

Gran slumped against the railing as I caught Lecia walking onboard the ship as well. She seemed slightly put-off, possibly even more so than my siblings. Lecia carried an air of uncertainty about her throughout the couple weeks I’ve known her - but it was much more apparent now. 

“I’ve some good news,” She began, which made Djeeta perk up. Lecia gave her a small smile and continued: “We can possibly catch my father as he travels through the Belt. We have a rather small opening though…”

“Hah! Not a problem for this crew.” Eugen’s voice rang out from the ship’s cabin. “We can take this ol’ gal as fast as we need to make it.”

“Hold on a minute!” Rackam retorts, “We can’t keep pushin’ the Grandcypher like that, we’re gonna ruin her!” 

Eugen and Rackam’s argument continues for a few more minutes, drifting across the deck where my group is gathered. Gran, Djeeta and Lyria all start laughing at the situation while Lecia lets out a breath of relief.

_ We’ll make it in time.  _


	8. Chapter II Section III: Dydroit Belt

Our stay in Amalthea only lasted a couple days more with restocking supplies and other cargo for the crew. We also did a couple odd jobs for Sierokarte while we were there; gathering herbs and materials - whatever she requested. 

We sailed for a few days out, passing by several merchant ships while dropping off the supplies for Siero. I found myself reminiscing on my teenage years when the merchant ships floated by, jogging my memories of my old friend Azazel. 

_ I’ll need to write to him soon. I keep forgetting to tell him I returned to Zinkenstill a month or so early due to my injuries. Maybe he won’t be mad…?  _ Shaking the thought out of my head, I began to write him a letter. 

Azazel is a Draph a few years older than me, a semi-wealthy merchant dealing in ore trades in the Phantagrande region. He’s quiet for the most part - I’ve seen for myself that his actions speak louder than words, though. 

A new day dawned and I stood off to the side of the helm, scanning a map of the Belt and its surrounding islands. Rackam stood at the helm and brought the Grandcypher into port. 

“We’ve reached the Dyroit Belt, Captain!” Rackam called over his shoulder. His voice shook me out of my thoughts. The expanse of islands across the Phantagrade Skydom seemed endless. Ships were scattered across the docks, merchants and other skyfarers making port. I nodded to the helmsman and went to disembark when another ship in particular caught my eye.  _ Azazel? No, I can’t be - he never comes out this far. _

Jumping from the deck - at Rackam’s dismay - I ran across the port and reached an all too familiar trading ship. It’s wood was dark, stained with sweat and tears. I reached out to touch it when the poke of a halberd hit the center of my back. 

“Who’re you?” The deep voice grumbled behind me. I spun around to face it and my eyes lit up. 

“Azazel!”

“Mullin?” The Draph lowered his weapon, gaze softening. “Thought I recognized that outlandish hair o’ yours. Where have you…” Azazel trailed off, looking at the Grandcypher. “Did you… arrive here in that?”

I nodded, allowing a small smile through: “Indeed I did! I’m… actually the captain,” I glanced away slightly. “I know it’s a little odd, but-”

“‘s beautiful.” Azazel mumbled, absentmindedly scratching his ear. “Lovely ship. Much better than… mine, I s’pose. Congrats.” 

I laughed and hugged Azazel, squeezing him with all my might. He sighed and patted my head in reciprocation. 

“It’s been too long, Zazzy.”

“...Why do you still remember that nickname?”

I laughed and let go of him, examining his features. Time had given him a more aged look around the eyes, but his dark skin bore no wrinkles. His white hair had continued to grow out, a ponytail resting on his shoulder. Bandages littered his body and I frowned. Azazel shifted under my scrutiny, sweat appearing on his brow. 

"...What?" 

"Nothing. We gotta catch up, I need to know how you got so many wounds." 

"..." 

“Don’t give me the silent treatment, Azazel.” I crossed my arms. “How many years have we known each other?”

“...Six.”   
  


“And how many scrapes have we gotten each other out of?”

No response yet again, but his gaze softened and he gave me another hug: “...Been too many months, Mew.”

I laughed and smiled up at Azazel who then picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I found myself pouting at him like I used to do when I worked under him. 

“Zazzy! Put me down! I’m a captain now, this is indecent!”   
  


“Shoulda considered that when ya let your guard down ‘round me.” Azazel let out a small laugh and began to carry me back to the Grancypher where the crew was waiting. Rackam did a double take when Azazel approached them, a smile ghosting across his face.

“Azazel, for the last time-”

“Put ya down, I know.” Azazel huffed and dropped me onto the docks unceremoniously. “Keep your head out of my business next time.” 

I glared at him and stood up, brushing dirt off my armor.  _ Hmph.  _ I stuck my tongue out at him when I heard the excited cry of Djeeta running up to tackle Azazel. She barreled into him and nearly fell backwards when he caught her. 

“Hi, Azazel!” She laughed and gave him a quick hug. Azazel sighed and patted Djeeta on the head. 

“...Hello.” 

Katalina and Rackam stood off to one side looking utterly perplexed. Katalina just shook her head and looked to Gran who had just disembarked from the Grandcypher himself.

“Azazel’s like another brother to Mullin. Figured they’d try to find him as soon as they saw his ship in port.” Gran said while giving the merchant a wave. “And causing trouble for him…” 

I pull Djeeta away from Azazel and make my way back to the crew. I suddenly noticed Gran frowning at my behavior. I gave him a sheepish grin to which he just rolled his eyes and made his way to the main island. Katalina followed him with Lyria tailing behind. 

I said my goodbyes to Azazel with the promise of meeting up that night for drinks then began to run off after my crew, not wanting to get left behind. 


	9. Chapter II Section IV: Apples

Having successfully registered the Grandcypher in the Dydroit Belt’s docks, I decided to explore the town for a little. Each house was connected to a cobble street, grass barely dotting the landscape. The marketplace was small yet bustling with travelers, it’s shops having been restocked for the fall season. 

Just as I was about to leave the shopping plaza, I overheard a now familiar tone of voice enter my ears. It came from an open window to a local shop, though I wasn’t sure what for. 

“You’re kiddin’!” 

_ Rackam?  _

“I’m sorry sir, but I can’t go any lower than the offered price. The part you’re looking for is rare out here. Have you tried Golonzo?”

Making my way over to the commotion, I grabbed an apple out of the basket of food I had been carrying. I found Rackam leaned over a counter in an intense conversation with a Harvin blacksmith. 

“Damn… I can only hope we have the funds for this…” Rackam muttered, staring at the metal piece he needed. 

“Spending our rupies on useless parts, Rackam?” I teased, walking over to the pair. The Harvin also looked up.

“Captain?” The helmsman gave me a glance and then shook his head: “No, one of the gears in the engine room snapped this morning and I don’t have any spares on board…”

The blacksmith perked up at my title: “This is your captain? Why, if you would’ve said so earlier I would’ve been easily able to give you a discount!” He gave a laugh and pressed the gear into Rackam’s hands. “For you, friends of Azazel.” 

Rackam and I exchanged a glance. I paid for the part before the blacksmith could change his mind, giving him a friendly wave as we left the shop. 

“‘Friends of Azazel’?” Rackam questioned almost immediately after the door closed. “The hell was he talkin’ about?”

I took another bite out of my apple, “No clue. Zazzy probably put in a good word for me around here - he has tons of connections. I’ll have to thank him when we see each other again.” 

Rackam just shook his head and sighed, placing the new ship part in his pocket. We walked together in a pleasant silence, the only noise to be heard was the crunch of grass under our boots. I tossed the helmsman an apple which he easily caught. 

Once we reached the edge of the island, I noticed a bench nearby. I beckoned Rackam over and we took a seat. Finishing our apples, we watched the sun slowly sink into the sky below. Looking back, that was probably my first real trip alone with Rackam. As the sun set, I couldn’t help but notice how soft his hair looked. 

Once the sun completely dipped below the horizon, we walked back to the inn where the rest of the crew was waiting. Saying our goodnights, everyone went to sleep peacefully - unaware of the growing calamities that would soon befall us all. 

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is @captainmullin if anyone wants to follow me there!


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